NSCDC arrests nine over vandalism of power, railway infrastructure in Gombe

The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, CSC Buhari Saad, while parading the suspects. Photo: NSCDC Gombe State Command.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Gombe State Command, on Thursday paraded nine suspects allegedly involved in the vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure, including electricity installations, railway materials and conductor cables.

The suspects were paraded in Gombe over alleged offences committed in different parts of the state. According to the NSCDC, the activities of some of the suspects had contributed to prolonged power outages affecting more than 30 communities in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of the state.

Among those paraded were Umar Mohammed, 32, a motorcycle spare-parts dealer; Adamu Hamisu, 30, a scrap dealer and alleged receiver and perpetrator from Wajari; Abass Abdulkadir, 25, an okada rider from Wajari, who was allegedly involved in the act on three occasions; and Bala Suleman, 25, an okada rider accused of being a perpetrator and transporter of conductor cables.

Others were Babangida Mohammed, 19, of Bogo BCGA, Gombe, a scrap dealer at Bobona, opposite Gidan Bola, who was allegedly receiving conductor cables from the suspects; and Abdullahi Garba, popularly known as Audu Kwadon, 39, a scrap dealer from Kwadon.

Also arrested was Abdulaziz Abubakar of Jalingo Ashaka in Funakaye Local Government Area, who was allegedly caught vandalising a transformer at Boderiyel in Bajoga.

In a separate case involving railway infrastructure, Inuwa Abubakar, 30, was arrested with 10 railway sleepers.

The corps also arrested Bashir Haruna, 20, from Nasarawa, in connection with the alleged vandalism and theft of copper wires belonging to CAP Company, a cotton-processing company.

Parading the suspects, the NSCDC Public Relations Officer, CSC Buhari Saad, who represented the State Commandant, Commandant Jibrin Idris, warned those involved in vandalism to desist from the act. He said protecting critical national infrastructure remained one of the core responsibilities of the corps and urged residents to support government efforts to safeguard public assets.

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“Protection of infrastructure is the corps’ prerogative. We are warning all vandals to desist from the act,” Idris said. He called on residents to be vigilant and provide useful information that could assist security agencies in preventing vandalism.

“Residents should desist from the act and help the government in the protection of critical national assets,” he added.

Reacting to the arrests, the Secretary of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, Aliyu Ibrahim, commended the NSCDC, saying the development would help address recurring vandalism of electricity infrastructure in the area.

“I want to congratulate the Civil Defence. This is very important to us because this issue has been a problem in the local government for a long time. I wouldn’t say it is late, but it is quite timely,” Ibrahim said.

He explained that the local government had spent considerable resources replacing vandalised electrical infrastructure, only for the installations to be destroyed again.

“This issue of theft has been bedevilling the local government for long. The local government has been spending a lot. They are going to vandalise these electrical wires, and we will go and replace them; they will still come back and do the same thing,” he said.

According to him, the repeated vandalism had initially raised suspicion about the activities of electricity workers in the area.

“So, then I called a meeting with the NEPA people. I was thinking that they had a hand in that. Honestly, I have to thank the Civil Defence Organisation for bringing the matter out,” he said..